"An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before.
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I'm a culinary student looking to work in the industry professionally, and I've been looking around for a new chef's knife to replace the garbage one I got from the school. My criteria for purchase are sharpness, edge retention, comfort/balance (kind of subjective), and durability (it'll be used on a daily basis for hours on end). Aesthetics are not really important to me.

After some deliberation, I've narrowed it down to a Shun Elite or a RyuSen Blazen. They're fairly similar in price, and as far as I know they're both made from SG2 steel. I'm willing to pay the extra $50 to get a better knife, but my question is: which one would you recommend, or is there another knife out there that would better suit my needs and doesn't cost $800.

I own/have owned at least 2 of each of the three types of knives mentioned in this thread. IMO, the SG-2 of the Shun Elite is superior to the steel of the original Blazens, which are still available at JapaneseChefsKnife.com. The updated Blazens at EpicureanEdge.com are also SG-2, like the Shuns. The Shun Elites are infinitely more comfortable than the Blazens, but I prefer the curvature of the Blazens' blade. Both knives hold an edge longer than a UX10, but the UX10 is still an excellent knife that definitely has it's uses. I just got my 2nd UX10 (240mm sujihiki) and I love it.

With all that being said, my pick for a stainless steel gyuto is, without question, the Ikeda available from EpicureanEdge.com. I would call it a Blazen on steroids. The 240mm version is the best knife I've ever used (although I admit, I've never handled some of the $500+ gyutos that some of these nutcases have ).

I really enjoy the feel of the Blazen, the balance is just right and the geometry/shape inspires confidence as if it's an extension of your hand. There isn't much I would change about the Blazen... (except for the slight issue of burr retention)

Personally I didn't enjoy the feel of the Shun D-handles and the prototypical western amount of belly (blade curvature).

I would say that in the realm of stainless western gyutos you really can't go wrong with any of these: Blazen, Ikeda, Ichimonji-Mitsuhide, or Misono UX10

Personally I didn't enjoy the feel of the Shun D-handles and the prototypical western amount of belly (blade curvature).

The Shun Elites' handles are symmetrical and nowhere near the design of the Classic handles. I'm not very well versed in the high-end Japanese customs, but I have owned or at least held a good portion of the western style knives available. IMO, the Elites' handles are the most comfortable western style handles on the market, period.

I quite like the look of the Ikeda, actually. Harder, and cheaper. In your experience, did it stand up well to a lot of use?

When I first got my Ikeda I was absolutely blown away by how long the edge lasted in a professional kitchen. The first time I used it at work I did 900 tomato slices without even thinking about steeling, and I was push-cutting all of them, hitting the edge against the cutting board with a little bit of force. It's just a monster.